Round Stones

The Millennium Plus Competitions

Sadly, due to a prolonged absence of Round Stones
arriving to be judged, we have abandoned
the great annual competition.

A lithoid form, whose onward course
Is shaped by gravitational force,
Can scarce enjoy the consolation
Of bryophitic aggregation.

from Hubert Phillips’s CODEX MAGNILOQUENS

Here can be seen the very round stone found on a gravel drive and photographed by David Dalgety.

It was examined by Mr William Bavin, one of the world's greatest marble experts, and pronounced to be "ground" therefore disqualified.

Point your mouse at it and you will see Lily examining all the Y2K entries.

ORIGIN

On Barna's Nonagenarian
progress around Scotland in 1999, Ben Dalgety produced a large round rock.
This inspired the first competition in which I said that in 2000 A.D.
I would give 2000p First Prize, 1000p Second Prize and 500p Third Prize
for the Roundest Natural Stones delivered to me. I also said there might
be an additional runner-up prize for the “Most Amusing Stone”.

ENTRY

Any nephew, niece,
great nephew, great niece, or other family members may enter the competition,
this has now been extended to family friends and their children, and almost anyone who asks.

The above object is not stone, is not very round, and
shows some signs of moss. It is unlikely to win.

RULES:

The stone must
be natural with no artificial “improvements”.

The stone may
be found, dug up, fallen from the sky, be collected from a river bed,
or whatever.

I will be to sole
and final judge as to the winners.

I may invent new
rules as the years progress!

HINTS

Measuring roundness
is a problem and the solution is not quite finalised; but I shall be influenced
by the Internet correspondence below. Roundness is more important than
size.

There are many web sites
with nearly the same name but none are genuine unless they have the hyphen representing
a landscape worn flat by the rolling stones, a plural S for the many stones,
and a .com ending.

So remember
<http://round-stones.com>Also kindly hosted by "The Puzzle Museum" so
<http://puzzlemuseum.com/round-stones>
will also get you here